ConclusionsIn this randomised pilot trial recruitment was challenging. Once randomised, there were acceptable levels of compliance and safety in each treatment schedule, but lower levels of retention. Using validated scoring systems; PGA, mTLSS and DLQI as measures of treatment response, the trial demonstrated that both PUVA and NBUVB improved the severity of chronic palmar hand eczema. The study was not designed to demonstrate superiority of one treatment and a larger adequately powered RCT will be required to investigate this.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

About a year ago, I did away with TV. It was an overwhelming expense with little personal utilization. I thought to myself while struggling with the decision to cut the cable, “What will I be missing?” I may no longer be “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” but I do keep a regular eye on my iPhone news feed. It is an addiction many people share. That itch to grab our phones with every buzz and ding. That phantom sensation you feel as if your phone vibrated in your pocket only to find out there is nothing new waiting for you.
Lately, the news feed is plagued with political updates. Then there are the p...

To the Editor: Localized chronic pruritus is a common condition that significantly affects health-related quality of life. A variety of diseases result in localized chronic itch, which can be broadly classified as dermatologic, neuropathic, or psychogenic in nature. For patients with chronic pruritus that is refractory to conventional therapy, the burden of disease is substantial.

There are currently no simple, standardized, objective assessments of itch for clinical trials and practice. We sought to validate and test the severity of scratching as an objective measure of itch (4-point ordinal scale ranging from 0 [not present] to 3 [very prominent] based on the observation of scratching lesions). We performed a prospective outpatient study using questionnaires and evaluations by a dermatologist in adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) (n=261). Severity of scratching best correlated with patient-reported global AD severity (Kendal ’s Tau=0.336, P

View Original Article Here: How Long Does Shingles Last In The Elderly?
Shingles is a viral infection that follows a varicella-zoster infection, although it can take decades for symptoms of the secondary disease to emerge. The condition presents as a painful and blistering rash, but it is not life-threatening.
According to the Center for Disease Control, there are nearly one million cases in the United States each year, and almost half of those cases are in older adults over age 60. Some people only see one instance of the illness, while others have recurring symptoms, but 30 percent of Americans will develop shingles at s...